1. Field of the Invention
The invention described herein relates to the download of code images.
2. Background Art
In a set-top gateway host, several components may be present through which software upgrades can be received as downloads. For example, a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) Set-top Gateway (DSG) host device that complies with OpenCable Host Device 2.0 Core Functional Requirements (OCHD2) includes an embedded DOCSIS cable modem (eCM) and an embedded set-top box (eSTB). Depending on the connection between the host and the server providing the download, some downloads may be received through the eCM only. An example of this is trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP) code downloads. Such downloads can only be done by cable modems. Other downloads may take place at the eSTB, such as a carousel download of a set-top image through a non-DOCSIS channel.
In either case, the eCM and the eSTB may need to communicate with each other. There may be security processing requirements, for example, wherein the eCM is required to perform validation and/or authentication operations on downloaded code and related data that otherwise is stored at the eSTB. In other cases, the eSTB may have to request that the eCM download a set-top image. Moreover, design constraints may dictate that some functionality and resources reside at one or the other, but not both. Again, this would require that the eCM and eSTB cooperate to process downloads securely.
Hence there is a need for a system and method by which the eCM and eSTB in a set-top host device communicate efficiently in order to securely and cooperatively process downloads of code images.
Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the present invention, as well as the operation of the various embodiments of the present invention, are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.